Apparatus for treating flour.



PATENTED OCT. 16

R. L. DOWNTON. APPARATUS FOR TREATING FLOUR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 190a.

in I w l v M 5. I

UNITED STATES .PnrEN'r OFFICE.

ROBERT L. DOWNTON, OF MAPLEWOOD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- llALF TO JAMES W. S. DOWNTON, OF MAPLEWOOD, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FLOUR- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

. Application mid amt 2, 906. Serial No. 303,772.

To all whom it may concern/s Be it known that I, R BERT L. DOW'NTON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Maplewood, in the county of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Flour, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accom anying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an ap aratus for use in whitening and aging flour by sub'ecting it to the action of a chemical gas wit out any deterioration of the flour.

It is customary at the present time in treating flour to pass into a semi-inclosed chamber a gas known as peroxid of nitro gen or nascent oxygen, which has the effect of bleaching or whitening and a ing it. p I find that when this gas-enters the our in volume directly .from a pipe or tube the flour close to the point of entry of the concentrated gas is subjected to a stronger action than the Hour at a greater distance, with resultant deterioration of the flour, owingto an uneven bleachin action taking place. To avoid this action, fcause the flour to fall in a thin sheet within a treating-chamber and cause the gas to enter said chamber in a thin sheet to meet and 'thoroughl mingle with every particle of the flour while it is falling in the chamber. I provide one or more gas-receiving chambers, into which the gas is first injected and from which it is permitted by a controllable gate or valve to ass into the chamber through which the our passes to produce the bleaching or whitening and aging eflect. I also provide for the flour moving in a zigzag or indirect descent, whereby as it moves from one way to another in passing through the chamber in which it is treated better opportunity for'the gas to mingle with the flour is afforded.

It will be readily seen that by spreading the flour into a thin sheet and by spreading the gas into a corresponding-thin sheet 0 posite the flour to be treated a more uni orm action will accrue and a quicker bleaching action will result, as well as a controllable one. This operation may be readily rendered visible to the operator at any and all of the ways from which the flour falls. The tumbling of the flour from the ways has the effect of thoroughly mixing the gas with the flour, and this is done in a more simple manner than when a mechanical agency is used inside the. bleaching-chamber to cooperate with gravity.

Figure I is a vertical cross-section. taken through my ap aratus. Fig. II is a horizongal sIection ta en on irregular line II II,

1 designates thecasing of my apparatus, which contains a flour-receiving chamber A and at the upper end of which is a flour-feed chamber B, into which the flour is introduced. The flour is fed from the chamber B into the chamber A by a rotary feeder 2 or by any other suitable form of feeder. In the receiving-chamber A is a series of inclined flights 3, located one below another and extending from one of the side walls of the casing 1. Opposing the flights 3 are inclined flights 4, which are diagonally dis osed relative to the flights 3 and so locate that flour flowin from one of the flights 3 will be discharge onto the facing flights 4, to be discharged therefrom onto the next lowermost flight 3 and continue a similar course throughout the two series of flights. It will be seen that the flour is confined within the chamber A between the casing-walls and that while it is descending through said chamber it will constantly move in a zigzag or indirectcourse, whereby its flow'is retarded and also whereby the gas introduced into the said chamber in the manner to be hereinafter explained will have a better opportunity to mingle with the flour.

5 designates as-receiving chambers located at one si e of the casing 1 and to which the bleaching or aging gas is conducted from a source of supply through a ipe 6. Communication between the cham ers 5 and the flour-receiving chamber A is provided by ports 1 and- 5*, through which the gas injected into the chambers 5 passes to the flour-receiving chamber. The orts 1 and 5 extend approximately the fu 1 width of the flour-receiving chamber A, and therefore the as which passes through said orts is cause to enter the flour-receiving 0 amber in a sheet corresponding in width to the sheet of flour descendin through the chamber in order that it Wil be of sullieient volume while enterin the chamber in a thin sheet to contact with each and every particle of descending flour.

The volume of gas permitted to enter the fiour-receiving chamber from the gas-receiving chambers is regulated by controllinggates 7, located adjacent to the ports 1 and 5 and adapted to be so adjusted as to por mihflow of gas through the ports insheets to their full capacity or to partially shut oh the flowof gas, so that it will enter the flourreceiving chamber in a sheet of very thin volume or in volume less than the full capacity of the ports. The gates 7 may be regulated by any suitable means, such as the rods 8, extending to the exterior of the chambers 5 and through brackets 9 and provided with thumb-nuts 10. As the gas, which may be peroxid of nitrogen, nascent oxy en, or any other gaseous body ca able of W itening or bleaching and aging our, enters the gasreceiving chambers 5 it flows therefrom past the gates 7, regulated as desired by the o erator, and enters the flour-receiving c amber A in thin sheets. Immediately u on the gas enterin the flour-receiving c amber in the form or a sheet, as stated, it quickly spreads within said chamber and min 'les with the descendingsheet of flour flowing in the zigzag or indirect coursedown the flights 3 and 4, whereby every particle of flour is quickly and efliciently acted upon by the gas and becomes bleached or whitened and aged' As the particles of flour travel down the flights they are tumbled over and over, there'b affording an gpportunity for the as touc m every side each article. It W111 be readily understood that t e operator may readil govern the inflow of gas to the flour-receivmgchamber at any time by the gates 7, and whenever by observation of the condition of the Hour being treated the flour shows that the inflow of gas is insufficient the gates may be o' ened more'widely, whereas if, on the other and, the condition of the flour shows that the inflow of gas is too great the ates may be partially closed to lessen the-v0 ume of gas entering the flourreceiving chamber.

I have found it very desirable to prevent any impxuritie's present in the aseous body to wine the flour is to be subjected from assin into the flour-receiving chamber A om t e gas-receiving chambers 5, and to prevent such passage of the impurities I ocate the ports 1 and 5 through which the gas passes, at approximately the tops of the gas-chambers and preferably above the ter- Inination of the gas-conveyin pipes leading into said gas-receiving chain ers, and as a further precautionary measure I provide filters 11, referably in the form of sheets of coarse bo ting-cloth, that serve to exclude the passage of impurities through the ports into the flour-receiving chamber. The impurities I refer to are often in the form of small flakes of rubber that become detached from rubber tubing where such is used as a gas-conductin r pipe, and in other instances where meta pipes are used the im urities are in the form of metallic specks or akes. The filters also serve to arrest passage of moisture that may 'be carried with the gas. To permit opening of the gas-receivingchambers from tlme to time to remove the impurities that may become deposited therein, I provide at the bottoms of said chambers ates 12, that ma be readily opened to disc large the impurities. The gas-receivin chambers are also preferably provided wit doors 13, located at the tops thereof, throu h which access may be gained to the interior of the chambers when desired.

. For the purpose of causing the as to flow into contact with the flour escending throu h the flour-receiving chamber in a thin s eet I mount beneath the flights 4, that extend downwardly. in the flour-receiving chamber 0 posite to the gas-inlet ports 1 and 5*, va ves 14, that are swingingly connected at 15 to suitable supports, preferably in the form of brackets 16, attached to one of the Walls of the casing 1. The valves 14 are adapted to be adjusted relative to the flights in juxtaposition thereto by means of regulating-rods 17, that are fitted to the valves and extend to the exterior of the casing and have applied to them adjustment-nuts 18. 19 and 20 are sight-openings located, respectively, in the up er and lower ends of the easing 1 and in w ich are seated transparent plates 21 and 22, preferably of glass. These sight-openings serve to permit of a view being obtained to the interior of the casing in order that the flourfeeding and bleaching actions may be constantly observed. At the bottom of the casing of the apparatus is a trough 23, into which the flour descends after it has been bleached and from which it is discharged by a suitable conveyer 24.

I claim 1. In an apparatus for treating flour, the combination of a casing having a flour-receiving chamber therein, a as-receiving chamber havin communication with the chamber in sai casing, a filter located at said point of communication, and a gas-conducting pipe leadin into said gas-receiving chamber at a point below the point of communication between said chambers, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for treating flour, the

.combination of a casing having a flour-receiving chamber, a gas-receiving chamber havmg communication With sald iflour-re ceiving chamber, a gasrconductlng plpe having communication with said gas-receiving chamber at a point below the point of communication between said gas-receiving chamber and flour-receiving chamber, a flight located interior of said flour-receiving chamber in proximity to the point of communication between said chambers, and a regu1at ro in i-valvelocated in froximity to sand flight;

stantially as set orth.

ROBERT L. DOWNTON. In presence of- BLANOHE HO AN, NELLIE V. ALEXANDER. 

